Sonic Youth have announced the official reissue of their lost bootleg, Walls Have Ears, set for release on February 9th, 2024. In honor of the announcement, the band has shared what is believed to be the first official recording of their fan favorite song “Expressway to Yr Skull.”
Previously released in 1986 as a 2xLP set that quickly went out of print, Walls Have Ears features recordings of three seminal Sonic Youth performances during the band’s second visit to the UK. A press release describes the bootleg as “not just a live album but an artful tapestry full of live experimentation with songs, between-song tape segues, darkness, humor and audio verité.”
The album is available for pre-order now, and will be sold digitally as well as on vinyl, CD, and cassette. A deluxe vinyl edition is available to pre-order, featuring exclusive materials including a previously-unreleased performance of “(She’s In a) Bad Mood.”
You can stream “Expressway to Yr Skull Below,” and check out the Walls Have Ears official teaser video, artwork, and tracklist.
Earlier this year, Sonic Youth shared a remixed and remastered LP of their final US performance, titled Live in Brooklyn 2011. Meanwhile, the band’s Thurston Moore — fresh off the release of his memoir Sonic Life — recently said a reunion is “always going to be on the table.”
Walls Have Ears Album Artwork:
Walls Have Ears Tracklist:
01. C.B.
02. Green Love
03. Brother James
04. Kill Yr. Idols
05. “Mad” Groove
06 I Love Her (All the Time)
07. Expressway to Yr Skull
08. Spahn Ranch Dance
09. “Blood on Brighton Beach”
10. The Burning Spear
11. Death Valley ’69
12. Speed JAMC
13. Ghost Bitch
14. I’m Insane
15. World Looks Red
16. The Word (E.V.O.L)
17. Brother Jam-Z
18. Killed and Kicked Off
